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Board Members Present:
Maureen Russell, Norm Gilbert, Patricia Terry, Denny Sands, Bob
Krogman, Regina Parker and Opal Zitka Board Members Absent:
Sue Franz and Mary Petruchius Other Persons Present: Staff:
Jerry Lane and Sue Halbrader Guests:
Dr. Kirts and Mike Flora from Ben Gordon Center
The Community Mental Health Board meeting was called to order at 7:35
p.m. by President Maureen Russell. AGENDA Motion to
approve the agenda was made by Mr. Krogman, seconded by Mr. Gilbert.
INTRODUCTIONS Board members introduced themselves to Mr. Flora
and Dr. Kirts. MINUTES Mr. Gilbert moved to
table the January minutes until corrected, seconded by Mrs. Zitka. On a
voice vote, the motion carried unanimously.
CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mr. Lane announced the State Association meeting is
to be held on April 8 and 9 in Springfield. The Governor’s State of
the Budget speech is to be the centerpiece of the meeting. Persons
planning to attend may take advantage of special pricing for
Association members if they register by the end of the week. Mr.
Lane said the State Association is determining whether or not
Medicaid Match can be used to double local dollars in the mental
health system. Since reimbursement may require complicated
billing and tracking, due to varying rates and the need to avoid
"double dipping," the matter is being negotiated with the
appropriate state departments. Mr. Lane told the Board that
staff met with the Executive Directors to review Grant
Applications prior to the Grant Hearings, and to discuss funding
issues for the coming year. The hearings schedule was distributed
to Board members. Mr. Lane announced that staff attended a
meeting of Executive Directors of DeKalb County Home Care, Ben
Gordon Center, Elder Care Services and Family Service Agency to
discuss the establishment of protocols regarding ways senior
service providers can best resolve issues and provide a seamless
treatment environment. A second meeting is scheduled for next
week. Mr. Lane distributed copies of a Partner Abuse Program
Directory published by the Department of Human Services for
interested Board members. Mr. Lane distributed copies of
statistics from the non-partisan Center for Budget Policies and
Priorities that illustrate the deteriorating condition of funding
for social services, mental health in particular. More
information can be found at the website:
www.cbpp.org
OMH, the Office of Mental Health, announced that OMH certified
Medicaid patients can choose where they wish to go for treatment.
Mr. Lane distributed the AMHCHAI work plan for the coming year,
and the NACBHD 2003 Legislative Agenda. Mr. Lane told the Board
that organizations valued under $5M do not need to come into line
with HIPPA requirements until 2004. Mr. Lane announced the BGC
annual awards ceremony meeting to be held on Tuesday evening,
May 20, at the Farm Bureau. The social hour begins at 5:00 p.m.,
dinner at 6, and the program at 7. Invitations will be sent out
at the end of April. An updated e-mail directory was
distributed to Board members. Mr. Lane said construction at Ben
Gordon Center, Youth Service Bureau and Family Service Agency is
underway.
FINANCE REPORTS
Mr. Gilbert moved approval of the February agency claims as
submitted; seconded by Mrs. Zitka. On a roll call vote the motion
passed unanimously. . Mr. Gilbert moved acceptance of the February
office claims as submitted; seconded by Mrs. Terry. On a roll call
vote the motion passed unanimously. Mr. Gilbert moved acceptance
of the March agency claims as submitted; seconded by Mrs. Parker. On
a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously. Mr. Gilbert moved
acceptance of the March office claims as submitted; seconded by Mrs.
Terry. On a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously.
COMMUNITY INPUT
Thomas Kirts, M.D., psychiatrist for DeKalb County for thirty years,
was invited to address the Board about what he perceives to be the
County’s most pressing problems in the area of mental health. Dr.
Kirts’ first concern is treatment for addicts and alcoholics.
Alcoholics routinely come, or are brought, to Kishwaukee Hospital
but there is no inpatient recovery program there for them, neither
sponsored by the Hospital or by Ben Gordon Center. The present
system is inadequate, it seemingly regressed thirty years. DeKalb
County now has a revolving door system in which people come into the
emergency room drunk and are dismissed when their blood alcohol
level reaches 1.0! The doctors and staff make an effort, when and if
they see the individual again, to tell people to call Ben Gordon
Center and get into an outpatient treatment group. At one time
DeKalb County had a thirty-day inpatient program, a reasonably good
educational model that directed and helped people. It closed,
because it was not a profit center for the hospital.
Treatment today means group services. Approximately 80 to 90% of
this population in treatment are in groups, with about 25 persons
per group. In addition, 75% of the people are "medically indigent,"
they are the working poor. Addicts/alcoholics need detox,
stabilization then intensive outpatient treatment. One in
twenty-five require residential care, which is not given on the
psychiatric units because it is not considered standard of care; it
is against policy. A second problem is coordination among
agencies that deal with adolescent problems, particularly substance
abuse treatment. It is extremely common for a kid to have a good
experience at one agency, then get into trouble, get arrested and
end up court ordered to another agency, because the court, and
possibly the agencies, has no knowledge of previous services.
Coordination among youth services could be improved through finding
out about the patient and his or her current relationships with
other agencies. It may be possible for agencies to staff together.
One contributing factor to the problem of backlog of psychiatric
time for adolescents is the death of Katy Gorham. Mr. Flora said
that through the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, BGC has a
$30,000 grant for "levels of care." BGC has had difficulty using the
grant due to very low numbers of referrals from the school system
for Level I children. If parents are unwilling or unable to
transport their child, the issue of treatment is further
complicated. Dr. Kirts said he has a good record with children 11-15
who live within walking distance, but a bad record with those who
live far enough away that they need a ride. The school system seems
to believe that people have to go out of the county for good
services. A third problem is that although Singer Mental Health
Zone Center has an excellent new medical director, Dr. Frankl, they
do not have the three most aggressive treatments available: Clozaril,
Decanoid injections and ECT (electro-shock therapy). The fourth
treatment is long-term hospitalization. Ironically, ECT, once used
only on the poorest and sickest, is now too expensive for most
people. A fourth problem, said Dr. Kirts, is that obtaining free
or affordable medication for indigent persons with mental illnesses
is a house of cards. The Spend Down, a monthly deductible subtracted
from a person’s disability check, may be as high as $500 per month
for anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. For persons receiving a
disability check , it is a good thing for drug companies who
sometimes provide free medicine to keep people from relapsing. Each
new applicant patient gets a month’s supply when they sign up for
the program. Usually that is enough to keep them in medicine until
the paperwork process is completed. If the government decides to
stop drug profits, or if the drug companies decide to stop this
program, we’re in trouble. A fifth concern is that community
agencies could coordinate better with NIU, which houses half a dozen
agencies that do treatment. One problem is that we do not know what
programs and services are available. The rural population is truly
at a disadvantage in accessing treatment. The need for a mental
health protocol, perhaps modeled after Kane County’s, was discussed.
Dr. Kirts asked that a copy of that document be sent to him for
review and further discussion.
COMMITTEE REPORTS None OLD
BUSINESS
Mr. Krogman moved that review of the Constitution and by-laws,
and the discussion of CMHB membership be tabled until the May
meeting, after the Grant Hearings. Seconded by Mrs. Zitka. On a
voice vote the motion passed unanimously. Copies of the
Constitution and by-laws were handed to each Board member at the
end of the meeting. President Russell, with one or two others,
will review them and prepare to discuss the matter when Grant
Hearings are completed.
NEW BUSINESS
Mr. Michael Flora, Executive Director and CEO of Ben Gordon
Center, addressed the Board to explain that due to funding
shortfalls and increased demand in services, the Center will run
out of money from OASA and OMH for indigent care at the end of
April. In terms of real dollars, the amount of funding in DeKalb
County has decreased by 14.7% in the past 10 years. The
total shortfall for the agency is $150,000. Mr. Flora asked the
Board for $49,582.00, and will go to the State of Illinois for
the additional money. Mr. Gilbert moved to approve funding
half of the request in the amount of $25,000 now and the rest to
be discussed at the business meeting prior to the first Grant
Hearing on April 28; Seconded by Mr. Sands. On a voice vote the
motion was approved unanimously. The next meeting will begin
early, at 6:00 p.m. instead of 6:30 on April 28.
Mr. Gilbert moved to adjourn, seconded by Mr.
Sands. All in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 p.m.
__________________________________________
Opal Zitka
Secretary Treasurer |
